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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23955058">Every Step You Take</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlueDayDream/pseuds/TheBlueDayDream'>TheBlueDayDream</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Imprinting, Wolf Pack, non-canon compliance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:08:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,795</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23955058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlueDayDream/pseuds/TheBlueDayDream</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>She had always wanted to believe in magic, but every single person in her life had told her that magic was just a fantasy. It wasn't real.</p><p>And yet, here was this boy standing in front of her, telling her that the legend that they had grown up with was real and that he was a part of it, too.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jared Cameron/Kim Connweller</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Gone was the status quo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my take on how Jared and Kim got together. The explanation given in the book didn't exactly sit right to me, so I keep the canon version of how Kim had a crush on Jared and how he had never paid attention to her until after phasing. The rest is my own imagination. Guess that makes this semi-non-canon compliance.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>List of signs that I like Jared:</strong>
  </em>
</p><p></p><div>
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p> </p>
      <ol>
<li><em>I keep staring at him. Everywhere. All the time. I can't take my eyes off him.</em></li>
<li><em>I think he has a cute nose and a cute mouth and cute eyes and…cute everything.</em></li>
<li><em>I think about him. A lot. Sometimes thinking about him would even distract me from watching another Harry Potter rerun.</em></li>
<li><em>I have a feeling I would really like it if he smiles at me.</em></li>
<li><em>My heart beats faster when he's around and there's this funny feeling that Valerie calls 'butterflies'. It refers to this tingly feeling that you feel, but I think it's a bit funny they call it like that. Butterflies don't really make any tingly (maybe itchy) and they certainly can't survive in the stomach at all given that there's no oxygen.</em></li>
</ol>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Kim stopped at point number five on the list. She would like to add more, but it was getting increasingly difficult to gather her thoughts on the subject and put them into words. She had never struggled with writing anything, but she had found that it was an exception when it came to her feelings. Somehow, she could never make her words sound right.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Like now. The list read like something that Valerie would turn up her nose at, the same way she did when presented with sappy romance novels with pictures of people kissing each other on front.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>It didn't make it any less real, though, the points that she had put down. She did stare at Jared a lot - she couldn't help it, he was really very captivating. She did think everything about him was cute and he had a tendency to invade her thoughts even when she least wanted him to (like when she was in the middle of writing out a new idea). She had seen him smile to his friends or to other people numerous times before. His smile was brilliant and she had no doubt that if it ever happened that he would direct one of those smiles at her, the butterflies in her stomach would multiple tenfold.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Not that it would happen anytime soon. Or, well, ever.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Kim knew for a fact that Jared didn't know her name, or anything about her, or even that she existed. They had spent the past school year sitting next to each other in History and Art class, and the closest that he had ever come to acknowledge her existence was when he borrowed an eraser from her. He had called her "neighbour" and they hadn't exchanged more than five words (not least because Kim was terrible with talking to strangers and Jared, while the object of her affection, was essentially a stranger).</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>They hadn't had any contact since, but that hadn't stopped Kim from spending an inordinate amount of time thinking about him.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>It was a strange experience, liking someone. Sometimes, Kim felt like she was losing control of both her mind and her body. Valerie said it was normal to feel that way, but had also made a point to tell her that she might as well move on from Jared.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"He doesn't notice you, Kim. I don't think he's worth your time," Valerie had declared, in a very matter-of-fact tone.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Yes, well…"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"And you're not doing anything to capture his attention either. If you're not going to make a move, why bother?"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Indeed, Kim wondered why her feeling was so persistent, when she had known everything that Valerie had pointed out. But as much as liking someone was a strange experience, it wasn't necessarily a bad one. She enjoyed the butterflies invading her stomach, she enjoyed the warmth she felt every class that she sat next to him and even the giddiness that she had over writing her name with his surname in her notebook made her excited.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Kim didn't need for Jared to notice her, even though a smile would be nice. She had never entertained the thought that she might date him one day (the notion sounded somewhat dreadful - dating).</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>It was enough that she carried these affection for him, secretly and all on her own. She knew how to handle things the way they were and was content with it.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>The last thing she needed was for something to come along and mess up the status quo.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p> </p>
      <hr/>
      <p> </p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Jared had been absent in school for nine days. Kim had counted down every day that she did not see him hanging by the lockers with his friends, or having lunch at his usual table next to the windows, or sitting in the seat next to her in History and Art.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>His absence did nothing for her wandering mind. The number of time that he was out of school in the year she sat next to him was a negative zero and so it had to be nothing short of life-changing for him to be missing classes.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Or it was very likely that she was just overreacting.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Once or twice, she toyed with the idea of hunting down his friends for information. It wouldn't be hard, the hunting down part, but Kim didn't relish the thought of having to talk with people she knew nothing about. It made her anxious. She wouldn't know what to say, or how to say it and she hated treading on uncharted territory.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>And it wasn't completely necessary. Jared would return to school, eventually. She might never know the reason for his absence, but it was enough for her that he was there.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"You know, everyone seems to be missing these days," commented Valerie at lunch.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>They were sitting out on the bleachers with their sandwiches. It was a cold and cloudy day, but at least it wasn't raining and so Valerie had insisted that they spent their lunch period out here for fresh air rather than in the stuffy cafeteria. Kim hadn't wanted to at first, but the cafeteria was handing out oranges today and the thought alone was enough to make her nauseous.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Her intense dislike for the fruit had been present her whole life and it wasn't restricted to only orange. Kim hated any kind of citric fruits with a passion. Valerie called it a phobia and Kim was inclined to agree with her. It wasn't rational the way her skin would crawl at the thought of having to touch a lime, or how nauseous she felt when she smelled an orange. It didn't seem like a big thing, really, but citrus fruits were everywhere and it certainly made it unbearable for Kim to be in the school cafeteria.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Not everyone," said Kim, recalling how the hallways were still packed between classes and how difficult it was to avoid physical contact with the others.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"I mean, Jared's not the only one missing," said Valerie, eyebrows drawing together. "You remember my neighbour? Paul Lahote?"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"The one who looks like he has a constant case of constipation?" asked Kim, using the description that Valerie had coined. She didn't <em>really</em> think that he had a constant case of constipation (because that would make his life quite difficult) but the way that Valerie had said it was funny and it had stuck in her mind since.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Valerie laughed. "Yes, that one! Anyways, he's not in school either. Not that I care, but mom's friend with Mr. Lahote and she said he was acting very strange about the whole thing. Said he was visiting his mom in Tacoma but then mom swore she saw Paul in the backyard one night."</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"You sure it was him?"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Who knows?" Valerie shrugged. "Mom didn't have her glasses at the time and you know how bad her eye sight is. Still, I wonder why Mr. Lahote lets him miss so many classes. He always complains about how Paul is gonna get kicked out at this rate."</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Kim nodded. She didn't really care about what was going on with Paul Lahote and wasn't sure what to say regarding what Valerie had shared. Still, she thought it was nice that Mr. Lahote was so concerned about his son's attendance. Kim was quite sure that her mother had no idea how many days she missed from class (zero so far this year and she was determined to keep her record) and didn't have the time to find out either.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>After lunched, Kim made her way to History class while Valerie went off for AP Biology. At the door, she peered inside the half-full room out of habit. Her heart stopped abruptly when her eyes landed on the last person that she had expected to see, sitting in his usual seat.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Jared. Head bent, eyes focused, fingers holding a piece of charcoal as his hand moved gracefully across a piece of paper.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Kim stared at him, frozen. He seemed almost normal, <em>almost</em>. Maybe she was hallucinating, but Jared looked bigger - taller and buffer than he had been nine days ago. His hair was shaggy and slightly wet. And he was tense, his shoulders wounded so tight it was a wonder they hadn't snapped under all the force he was exerting.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Beyond the physical changes, there was something different about him, something that she couldn't quite place. The thought nagged at her. Perhaps if she looked closely enough---</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Hey, move it! You're blocking the door!" some snapped from behind.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Kim jumped in her spot. She muttered an apology before hastily moving to her seat. Jared didn’t look up when she threw herself down, as she had expected. His left arm was blocking the paper, so she couldn't see what he was working on. But she knew it was another drawing.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Jared was always drawing whenever he didn't have anything else to do. Being in Art class with him, Kim knew that he was really good, judging from the high grades and the constant praise from their teacher.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>History class passed by slowly. Kim enjoyed the text book and history in general, but she found it hard to listen to their teacher, Mr. Anderson. He had the tendency to turn the lesson into an epic re-telling of what had happened. While this was usually met with enthusiasm from the rest of the students, Kim had trouble following the stories. Mr. Anderson took forever to get to the point and always got distracted by insignificant details.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Thus, it was no wonder that twenty minutes into the class, Kim already found herself tuning out her teacher. They were on the topic of the Vietnam war today, which she had read beforehand and had even done extra research at the library. She was reasonably sure she could handle questions about this topic during the exam, but still jolted down a note to read more about this later on just in case.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"And bam!" Mr. Anderson exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the table. Kim jumped at the sound, causing the pouch containing her assortment of pens and pencils to fall to the ground between her and Jared's desk.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Before she had the chance to retrieve it, Jared had already bent down and picked up the pouch.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Here you go," he said, placing it back onto her desk.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>She stared at the pouch, then at Jared before quickly averting her eyes back to the pouch, feeling a furious blush spreading over her face like wild fire. The thank you she wanted to give him was stuck somewhere in her throat and it took her several tries before she managed to croak it out.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"It's okay," said Jared. Kim didn’t know if it was something in his voice, or the fact that he was suddenly back after a long absence, but she felt a strong impulse to look at him again and so she did.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>He continued. "Don't worry about it, neigh---"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>His words died on his lips as their eyes met. Kim averted her gaze once more, even though she knew the proper etiquette was to maintain eye contact. But her inside was already jumbled up and she didn't want to make herself even more nervous than she already was.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>She could still feel his gaze on her, though. And it remained, for the next ten minutes even as he didn't say anything else. The attention made her uncomfortable, given that he had never spared a glance her way before, and at some point, Kim found herself mumbling to him: "Stop looking at me! You're being weird."</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>It was several moments before he replied in an equally low voice, though riddled with guilt: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Well, you did anyway," she replied, before realizing that her words might sound harsh. "I mean, it’s…Do you want something from me?"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Kim didn't know if that sounded better.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Sorry, I was just---"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Mr. Cameron, Ms. Connweller, do you have something that you want to share with the rest of the class?" called their teacher, who had finally taken notice of their whisperings.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Everyone turned to look at the pair. Kim gripped the hem of her shirt, wishing that she could crawl under the table and hide. Next to her, Jared fidgeted, looking equally uncomfortable.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Nothing, sir," he mumbled, and Kim could only find it in herself to nod along.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Then I suggest that you pay attention to the lesson instead of talking to each other," said Mr. Anderson pointedly.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p> </p>
      <hr/>
      <p> </p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Wait! Wait up!" called Jared from somewhere behind her.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Kim continued to resolutely walk past the students mingling in the hallway as fast as she could without pumping into anyone. She had bolted out of the room the moment class ended and Jared seemed like he wanted something with her, because he was now chasing after her in a manner that made every pair of eyes turned as they went past. The attention only made her more determined to get away, because as much as she liked Jared, she had no idea how to deal with this situation where he suddenly acknowledged her.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>This was new. This was strange. This was <em>scary</em>.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>And so the best course of action, at least in her mind, was to run away. She needed to calm her erratic heart before it exploded and she needed to find Valerie, who should be able to tell her what to do next.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>She didn't need Jared to catch up right now, not at all.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>But, unfair as it was, Jared happened to have longer legs than her and was also quite fast. He caught up with her within a few minutes, almost effortlessly, and now he was blocking her way.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"I have somewhere I need to go to. Move," said Kim, putting in a bit of force into her voice the same way that she had seen Valerie doing.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>He held up his hands in a move to placate her.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"I will! I just…I just want to say sorry…for what happened in class," said Jared, voice gentle and apologetic. "I didn't mean to…it's just that…well, something strange happened."</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"It was strange, yes. You never paid attention to me before," said Kim.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>She was merely stating a fact, but the way that Jared winced made her wonder if she shouldn't have said what she said.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Yes, that…," he muttered, eyes downcast. "I've been an idiot, that's what it was."</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Kim tilted her head. "But why are you talking to me now?"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Well, I…uh, I can't tell you that. <em>Yet</em>. But I just want to ask…and mind you, I'm really embarrassed asking this given that we've sat next to each other for so long now," he sighed. "But…uh, what's your name?"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Kim Connweller," replied Kim automatically. "Why are you embarrassed? You don't have to remember everyone's name, especially people you don't care about."</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>She wouldn’t have known his name if it wasn't for the fact that she had a crush on him.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Jared ran a hand through his hair in a manner that Kim recognized as agitated. He was acting strange. This whole thing was strange.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"That's <em>not</em> true, Kim," he insisted. "I <em>don't</em> not care about you. I mean before…but now…argh! I don't know what to say!"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"That's okay. I don't know either," said Kim, and then in a more hesitant tone, she added, "Can I go now? Or is there something else you want?"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>Jared stared at her, and after a silence that felt too long for Kim, shook his head. "No, that's ok. Thanks for humouring me so far. I will…I will see you around, yeah?"</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>"Of course. Bye, Jared."</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>As she walked away, Kim thanked the gods that their conversation had not continued on any longer, because her stomach was bloated full of butterflies and her heart was about two seconds away from jumping out of her chest.</p>
      <p> </p>
      <p>
        <em>Tbc.</em>
      </p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A very, very tentative step</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kim had no idea what to make of the exchange between her and Jared.</p><p> </p><p>It was still a shock to her that after a whole year of not sparring a glance her way, Jared ended up chasing her across the hallway just to ask what her name was. When she had asked why he was suddenly talking to her, he had said that he couldn't tell her the reason yet.</p><p> </p><p>Which only fanned her curiosity and confusion. What <em>couldn't </em>he tell her? Was it a deep, dark and terrible secret that he was keeping? It couldn't be. She was just his classmate. What kind of deep, dark and terrible secret would involve him talking to a mere classmate that he had never talked to before?</p><p> </p><p>"You're overthinking the whole thing," commented Valerie as she spooned more ice cream from the tub she was holding, her pink hair tucked neatly behind her ears. "Maybe he just look at you and realize how hot you are."</p><p> </p><p>They were sitting in Valerie's bedroom with various snacks spread around them. It was after yet another dinner that she had eaten with the Greengrass and by this point, Kim reckoned that she had spent more meals at Valerie's house than her own. Valerie's mother always insisted on inviting Kim over, knowing that with her mother's busy schedule at the hospital, Kim would be eating dinner alone.</p><p> </p><p>They were supposed to be working on their homework, but Kim couldn't concentrate and ended up talking with Valerie. Her conversation with Jared earlier in the day kept replaying in her mind over and over again until the point that the words in her Geography textbook started to blur together. Kim wished there was a way that she could block Jared out of her mind altogether, but she could come up with nothing so far.</p><p> </p><p>"My face has too much bones and angles to be considered pretty," replied Kim.</p><p> </p><p>"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'd go for you if I'm that way inclined."</p><p> </p><p>"You're not my type though," said Kim truthfully. "My preference runs towards the male species."</p><p> </p><p>Valerie snorted. "Of course. Glad to know I'll never be attractive enough for you."</p><p> </p><p>"You have enough people who find you attractive, Val. You don't need me, " smiled Kim.</p><p> </p><p>"Doesn't matter. We're getting off topic. Now, I don't understand why you're freaking out so much about this. It's a good thing if he's talking to you, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"No! It's not! It's…it's weird. I don't know. I don't understand <em>why</em>, that's the problem. And well," Kim bit her lower lips as she contemplated her next words. "I never really thought…I'm not prepared for this situation, you know. I never thought it would happen. I don't think I even want it to happen."</p><p> </p><p>"Kim, you know we've talked about this before, right? That things will happen regardless of if you're prepared for it or not? That's how life is. You don't have to be afraid of it."</p><p> </p><p>Kim sighed. "I know, but I can't help it. Things are changing, I can feel it, and you know how I am with changes."</p><p> </p><p>"Change isn't always a bad thing. It can be good."</p><p> </p><p>"Like how?"</p><p> </p><p>"Like this can be the start of something between you and Jared," suggested Valerie. "And don't make that face, girl. It doesn't have to be dating. Maybe you guys will become good friends."</p><p> </p><p>"But why would I need another friend? I have you."</p><p> </p><p>"Doesn't mean you can't have other friends. I have other friends, too. You've met them."</p><p> </p><p>Kim was silent. She still didn't think that she needed Jared as her friend. Valerie was a good friend. She was Kim's best friend. And there was Kim's cousin in Sacramento, whom she talked to on the phone frequently. Her older brother was only a few hours away in Seattle.</p><p> </p><p>She was happy with the way things were. But Kim wasn't stubborn enough to not realize that things were changing whether she liked it or not.</p><p> </p><p>Would it be so bad to accept that this might be the start of something new for her? For Jared? Her heart yearned for that smile from him, so maybe she could learn to adapt to this?</p><p> </p><p>She needed to think more about this.</p><p> </p><p>And maybe make another list.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>"Hi."</p><p> </p><p>Kim looked up from her locker to find Jared standing next to her. Her heart immediately picked up its pace as her eyes travelled upwards, from the simple T-shirt that he was dressed in, to the hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck and finally landed on the one thing that she had been longing to see from him.</p><p> </p><p>His smile. Lips curved into a half-moon shape. Gentle and hesitant.</p><p> </p><p>Kim knew it was impolite to stare, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. Her heart was thumping so loudly inside her chest, she was sure that everyone within a ten feet radius would be able to hear it.</p><p> </p><p>"You have a beautiful smile," she said in wonder.</p><p> </p><p>The half-moon turned into an O at her words and it was only then that she finally looked at the rest of his face, only to find astonishment etched into every feature and red colouring his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh…uhm…well, that's very…" he stammered, seemingly at a loss of words. Then, Jared cleared his throat loudly several times before regaining his composure. "Thanks, Kim. That's really nice of you to say. It makes me really happy."</p><p> </p><p>Kim shrugged. "I'm only stating the truth. Has no one told you that before?"</p><p> </p><p>"Ah, well…" muttered Jared, bringing his hand up to cover the lower half of his face. </p><p> </p><p>"You're turning really red. Are you ok? Do you have trouble breathing?" asked Kim, concerned. She thought that she was telling Jared something positive, but maybe she was doing it wrong? He wasn't supposed to turn this red, was he?</p><p> </p><p>Jared let out a sound that was like a mix between a snort and a laugh. "Ha…no, I'm not <em>choking</em> or anything, if that's what you're worried about. That was…that was a blush."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh."</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah," he said, giving her a sheepish smile.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you always blush when someone says something nice about you?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.</p><p> </p><p>Kim never thought that Jared was the type to blush easily. Maybe she was wrong.</p><p> </p><p>"What?! No, no, no---"</p><p> </p><p>"That's quite a few no's."</p><p> </p><p>"---no! I don't always…it depends on the person. It depends on the person," he said hurriedly. "I'm normally not this…<em>blushy</em>, you know. If that's a word."</p><p> </p><p>"That's not a word," confirmed Kim, a small smile on her lips.</p><p> </p><p>She didn't know why, but she was enjoying this - this conversation with Jared that she had not expected to happen. In all of the times she had observed him from afar (and she happened to do that quite a lot), she hadn't seen this side of him, the side that was easily flustered, sheepish and…<em>blushy. </em></p><p> </p><p>Her smile widened as she replayed the word in her mind. It wasn't even a real word, but she liked it nonetheless. The thought that she was making Jared Cameron blush gave her a sense of pride, like she had achieved something that she didn't previously thought possible.</p><p> </p><p>But it didn't make sense to her. Why was he blushing because of something she said, when it was only a day ago that he didn't even know her name? What had changed since?</p><p> </p><p>"I don't understand you, Jared," she said aloud, drawing a surprised look from him. "You never showed any interest in me before. Just yesterday you had to ask for my name, because you didn't know who I was. And now you're…<em>blushing </em>because of something that I said. This whole situation confuses me. I've even made a list of possible explanations, but it's better if you just tell me why because right now I have 'Jared has been replaced by an alien' and 'Jared has stage 4 cancer and he's being nice to everyone before he has to leave this world soon' on my list."</p><p> </p><p>"That's…quite an imagination you have there."</p><p> </p><p>Kim nodded. "I know. So can you tell me your reason? Because I don't like either of those points."</p><p> </p><p>"Me neither. Look, I---" but the rest of his sentence was drowned out by the sound of the bell ringing. Around them, doors slammed and people hurriedly made their way to class. Kim was anxious to leave as well - she didn't want to be late for Calculus.</p><p> </p><p>"Let me think about this, okay? I need to think about this," said Jared.</p><p> </p><p>Kim nodded and dashed towards her class, not thinking about Calculus at all.</p><p> </p><p>Jared did not approach her again for the rest of the day. At one point, Kim saw him having a conversation with Paul Lahote out in the yard. The conversation seemed to be quite intense, judging by how red Paul turned and the way Jared kept throwing his arms around. Kim wondered if that had anything to do with what she and Jared had talked about in the morning.</p><p> </p><p>The situation bothered. Kim had always liked for things to be clear and make sense to her. The world can be a confusing place to her at times and it made her feel better if she can understand what was happening as much as possible. Jared used to make sense to her. His behaviour, while perhaps somewhat upsetting given that she liked him, was predictable.</p><p> </p><p>Until it wasn't.</p><p> </p><p>Kim felt like something had changed in the nine days that he had disappeared from school, something fundamental that had turned her relationship with him upside down. Now he was chasing after her in hallways and asking for her name and blushing at her words. Kim would be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy the attention, because she did. But the lack of explanation for this change nagged at her.</p><p> </p><p>And Jared had only said that he would think about it, not that he would tell her. Perhaps she should have explained to him about her need for clarity. Should she go find him now and tell him?</p><p> </p><p>No, maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea. He had said he needed to think about this. She should be respectful of his wishes. Kim had read in a book once that respect was an important element of liking someone.</p><p> </p><p>If she had deemed Jared worthy enough of her affection, then he should deserve her respect, too, shouldn't he?</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>On Friday night, Kim was home alone, binge watching the first four Harry Potter movies. Valerie was off to a party thrown by a group of seniors and had wanted to drag Kim along. However, Kim couldn't see the appeal of being stuck in a house with fifty or more people, everyone sweaty and reek of alcohol, while being bombarded by loud music and drunken slurs, and so had declined.</p><p> </p><p>Party was more of a Valerie's thing than Kim's. She was much more content sitting in the comfort of her home, munching on popcorn and watching her favourite series.</p><p> </p><p>The house was completely quiet except for the sound of Harry and Ron fighting on screen. Kim lived with her mother, who was a surgeon and spent more time at the Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles than her own home. Her mother was pulling double shifts tonight, according to the haphazardly written note stuck to the fridge door, and wouldn't be back until morning. There was a reminder for Kim to eat her dinner, which she thought was unnecessary because she always made sure to eat her meals every day, exactly at 7 am, noon and 6 pm.</p><p> </p><p>But then perhaps her mother was too busy to remember that.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, that's me, Ron Weasley…Harry Potter's stupid friend," said Ron on screen. Kim couldn't suppress the frustration that she felt every time she watched this scene. Ron had been best friend with Harry for three years - shouldn't he understand that Harry wouldn't do something like purposefully seeking glory for himself by now? But then again, the books did talk about how…</p><p> </p><p>"Hi? Is anybody home?"</p><p> </p><p>Kim jumped at the unexpected voice and looked around. She was supposed to be alone in the house, so where had the voice come from?</p><p> </p><p>"Hello?" the voice said again, accompanied by a knock at the door.</p><p> </p><p>"Who could it be?" murmured Kim to herself as she made her way towards the front door. The voice sounded strangely familiar, like she had heard it before.</p><p> </p><p>When she opened the door, it turned out to be none other than Jared, who was anxiously pacing back and forth on the front porch.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh thank God!" he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw her. "I rung the bell three times but you didn't answer, so I thought there was no one home. But then I saw the light in the living room and the TV and I thought…well, I'm glad you're alright."</p><p> </p><p>Kim cocked her head quizzically. "Why wouldn't I be? I was watching Harry Potter, so I must have missed the bell. I'm really focused when I watch Harry Potter, you see. It's very engaging and I don't want to miss anything."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh," said Jared as he blinked at her. "So you like Harry Potter then?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yep!" replied Kim excitedly, popping the <em>p </em>as she did so. "It's my favourite thing aside from Naruto and penguins! I'm still waiting for my Hogwarts letter. I think it was stuck in the mail somewhere, but it'll get here eventually. Meanwhile, I just need to learn as much as I can about Hogwarts so I wouldn't be stumped when I'm there."</p><p> </p><p>Jared's face broke out into a wide smile at her words. "Seriously? I'm still waiting for mine, too, but then my cousin said that Hogwarts letters are delivered by owls so there's no way that they would be stuck in the mail."</p><p> </p><p>"I have a theory that it takes a lot longer for the owls to get here from England. They would need a lot of rest on the way. Maybe some died, because the Atlantics can have such terrible storms, you know. So maybe my letter, and yours, is somewhere at the bottom of the ocean."</p><p> </p><p>"That's not a very comforting thought," commented Jared, scratching his head. "But wait, before we got lost in this discussion, I'm here to talk to you about something, actually."</p><p> </p><p>"Is it about why you're suddenly talking to me when you've never paid attention to me before?" asked Kim.</p><p> </p><p>Jared winced. "Ah, yes…and I'm still really sorry about that, by the way. I'm honestly such an idiot."</p><p> </p><p>Kim want to ask why he was apologizing, again, when there really was nothing to be apologizing for, but resisted the urge. Her need to understand his reasoning was overriding everything else. She could always ask him about this later, if she wanted to.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm in the middle of Goblet of Fire, but that can wait," said Kim. Then, a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Wait, why do you know my address?"</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, that," laughed Jared ruefully. "I sort off asked Paul to ask Valerie for your address."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, okay."</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah. So…do you want to take a walk maybe?"</p><p> </p><p>Kim considered this. "Where are we going though? Because Mrs. Greengrass has been warning me that the woods are dangerous these days. She said a girl she knew was mauled by a bear last week and her face was completely disfigured."</p><p> </p><p>A dark look crossed Jared's face at her words, but it happened too fast for Kim to decipher. When he spoke, it was with a measured, but trembling sort of voice that she couldn't understand: "Don't worry, I'd <em>never</em> let you get hurt. Can you trust me?"</p><p> </p><p>She might have harboured feelings for Jared for a long time, but this was only the third time that she had actually had a real conversation with him that extended beyond a dozen words. They were essentially strangers, and yet, one look at the sincerity in his eyes was enough for Kim to nod along. </p><p>
  <em>Tbc.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. From Impossible to Possible</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They ended up on the path that would lead them to First Beach. Her house was only a fifteen-minute walk away from the beach and Kim had been on this path hundreds of times before, but this was the first time that she walked with pounding hearts and sweaty hands.</p><p> </p><p>Jared hadn't said anything since they left her house and the silence was unnerving. Hadn't he said that he wanted to talk to her? But now he was quiet as a mouse and Kim had the strong urge to fill up the silence between them with anything that would make her less nervous.</p><p> </p><p>"It's cloudy tonight. Maybe it would rain," said Kim.</p><p> </p><p>It was the first thing that came to her mind. The weather was an easy topic, right? Everyone complained about the weather in La Push, so it was always a good conversation starter.</p><p> </p><p>When Jared didn't say anything back, Kim thought that perhaps she should add a personal element to make it easier for him to comment on. So she continued, "We should have brought along raincoats. I get sick easily when I'm wet. What about you?"</p><p> </p><p>He perked up at that. "Really? Should I go back to grab some raincoats? I don't want you to get sick."</p><p> </p><p>Kim blinked, having not expected to see the genuine worry evident on his face. She did get sick easily if she was caught in the rain, but she had only said that because she thought sharing something personal would be better for the conversation.</p><p> </p><p>"You don't have to do that. I don't really think it would actually rain," she said hurriedly, since he looked like he was about ready to sprint back to her house.</p><p> </p><p>"You sure?" asked Jared, casting a suspicious look at the sky.</p><p> </p><p>She nodded. "I'm sure. I'm still waiting for that talk, you know. We've been walking in silence for ten minutes now."</p><p> </p><p>"Right," muttered Jared, more to himself than to her. He was rubbing the nape of his neck again, a gesture that she had come to associate with him being nervous. "This is really not easy. I don't know where to start, to be honest."</p><p> </p><p>"How about at the beginning?"</p><p> </p><p>He let out a humourless laugh at that. "You make it sound so simple, you know."</p><p> </p><p>Kim didn't say anything to that. They were almost at First Beach and she could already make out where land ended and the sea began. Even under the weak moonlight, the water shone, glistening as it moved towards the shore in waves after waves.</p><p> </p><p>Kim had always liked being here. There was something about the sea that calmed her and this time, it was no exception. She could already feel her heart slowing down to an acceptable pace, her nervousness ebbing away as their shoes made contact with dry sand.</p><p> </p><p>Feeling much calmer, she turned to look at Jared, seeing the nervousness evident in his eyes and in his every gesture. There was fear there, too, which made her wonder why a conversation about why he suddenly started talking to her would make him so on edge.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't normal, not at all.</p><p> </p><p>"You're afraid. Why?" she asked.</p><p> </p><p>"Because I don't know how you would react to what I'm about to say to you," he replied quietly, eyes downcast.</p><p> </p><p>She turned his words over and over inside her head. The appropriate thing to say would be to assure him that he wouldn't have to be afraid of that, but Kim couldn't bring herself to say it because it would be untrue. She didn't know what he was about to tell her and therefore wouldn't be able to give him an assurance of how she would react. Kim could feel the sincerity coming from Jared, so she should also strive to be as honest as possible.</p><p> </p><p>"If you never say it, then you will always be afraid of how I might react. You don't want that, do you?" asked Kim.</p><p> </p><p>Jared shook his head. "No, I won't avoid this. It will have to come out eventually. So how familiar are you with our legends?"</p><p> </p><p>Of all the things that Kim had thought he would start with…</p><p> </p><p>"Which one? The traditional culture class that we have covers quite a lot."</p><p> </p><p>"The one about Taha Aki and the wolves."</p><p> </p><p>Kim nodded. "Yes, I remember that one. It was one of my favourite, actually." Jared smiled at that. "Where are you going with this, Jared?"</p><p> </p><p>Jared stopped in his track and took in a deep breath, before letting it out slowly. He looked like he was bracing himself for what was to come.</p><p> </p><p>"What if I tell you…that Taha Aki <em>really</em> was able to turn into a wolf at will? That he did live for two centuries? That his sons were wolves as well?" said Jared slowly, and then he was looking straight at her as he asked, "Would you believe me?"</p><p> </p><p>Kim didn't know what to think. Her ears were perfectly fine, so what was this that she was hearing from Jared? He was telling her that the legend that she had learned about in class, the legend that they told little kids next to bonfires, the legend that the tribe kept in a book in the ceremonial hall…<em>that</em> legend was true? </p><p> </p><p>How could it be true, that a man was able to turn into a wolf? It sounded ludicrous. The legend of Taha Aki was supposed to be just that, a legend - a story that was not proven to be true.</p><p> </p><p>However, just because something was not proven to be true, it didn't mean that it <em>wasn't</em> true. It also didn't mean that it was true, either. Taha Aki, if he did exist and did turn into a wolf, died a long time ago and there was no way for either of them to prove if the legend was true or not.</p><p> </p><p>But Jared seemed to believe in what he had said. Kim had half expected for him to burst out laughing at some point and declare this a bad joke. But his face remained as serious as when he first asked her about the legends of their tribe. They had been classmates since they were ten and in all that time, Jared had never given any indications for her to believe that he was crazy.</p><p> </p><p>So if he <em>wasn't</em> crazy, then what had made him so firmly believe in this?</p><p> </p><p>"Why…do you think the story was true?" questioned Kim, her voice steady and measured.</p><p> </p><p>"Well, that's a <em>whole</em> lot better than what I had envisioned," muttered Jared, looking relieved.</p><p> </p><p>She gave him a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"</p><p> </p><p>"Er…I thought you'd…freak out or something, you know. Which is totally understandable. I freaked out, too. And took off running towards the woods," he admitted in an embarrassed sort of voice.</p><p> </p><p>"Should I do that, too?" she wondered aloud.</p><p> </p><p>An alarmed look crossed his face. "Please don't! It's good like this. Just…just stay where you are. You're asking me to explain this more, so that means you haven't casted me off as a total nutjob yet, which is…which is <em>really</em> good."</p><p> </p><p>"You never gave me any reason to think you're a total nutjob, Jared. Not even now," smiled Kim.</p><p> </p><p>Jared exhaled. "That's good. To answer your question, I don't think the story was true. I <em>know</em> it was. Because…because Taha Aki's descendants lived on, and they got his ability, too. And one of his descendants is…me."</p><p> </p><p>"You mean…you mean, you…," she stammered, gesturing wildly towards him. "You…"</p><p> </p><p>"Also turn into a wolf? Yep."</p><p> </p><p>She stilled completely, unable to say anything else. It was one thing for Jared to say that a mythical figure living a few centuries ago could turn into a giant wolf at will and another thing altogether for him to claim that he shared the same ability, too.</p><p> </p><p>How could it be possible? It shouldn't be, it shouldn't be possible at all. Humans didn't turn into anything. Humans were just humans. These kinds of stuff only existed in science fiction and fantasy stuff, things that she could spend days and nights reading about.</p><p> </p><p>She had spent her entire childhood fantasizing magical abilities that she could have, about super-strength and breathing fire from her mouth and defying gravity by walking on water, about a whole different world out there where anything was possible. But at some point, Kim had grown up and had been made aware of the boundaries between fiction and reality, enough to understand that things like that weren't <em>real</em>.</p><p> </p><p>She had always wanted to believe in fantasy, but every single person in her life had told her that fantasies were just fantasies. They weren't real.</p><p> </p><p>And yet, here was this boy standing in front of her, telling her that the legend they had grown up with was real and that he was a part of it, too.</p><p> </p><p>"There's this part inside me that is telling me that maybe you really are a total nutjob after all," admitted Kim, eliciting a small chuckle from Jared. "And then there's this other part…this part <em>wants</em> to believe you. But if you are what you claim you are, then…then I need to see it. I need to see that it <em>is</em> real."</p><p> </p><p>Jared was silent as he contemplated this. Then, he said, "Okay. But I don't…I don't want you to get…get hurt or anything, so you need to stand back, okay? Keep a distance of at least ten feet from me. Can you do that?"</p><p> </p><p>Kim nodded and stepped back until Jared was satisfied that she was at a safe distance from him. Her body shook with anticipation and excitement. Her heart was thumping against her ribcage, but this time, it wasn't because of her feelings for Jared. It was because of what she was about to witness.</p><p> </p><p>She hadn't lied when she said that half of her wanted to believe Jared. She found herself wishing that everything he had told her was true, because it would mean that there really was magic in this world. Even if that magic wasn't the wand-waving and spell-casting kind.</p><p> </p><p>"This is gonna be awkward," called Jared, once again rubbing the nape of his neck. "I'm going to take off my clothes---"</p><p> </p><p>"You're getting naked?!" she choked. This was definitely not what she was expecting. "I'm not prepared to see you <em>naked</em>, Jared!"</p><p> </p><p>Even from where she was standing, she could make out the blush darkening his skin.</p><p> </p><p>"Well, I don't want to shred my clothes. You can…maybe you can turn around? Or look away? Whichever you're more comfortable with," he suggested.</p><p> </p><p>"Okay, I'm just gonna…I'm just gonna close my eyes then," she muttered and then promptly shut her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>The world around her was encased in darkness, but the lack of sight enhanced her hearing. She could pick up the rustling sound of clothes being taken off and then a faint thud as they hit the sand. Even though she couldn't see anything, Kim still felt her face grơing hot knowing that Jared Cameron, the boy that she liked, was standing a few feet away from her, naked as the day that he was born.</p><p> </p><p>Who would have thought that her agreeing to go on a walk with him would lead to <em>this</em>?</p><p> </p><p><em>It wouldn't hurt to take a peak</em>, whispered a sly voice inside her head.</p><p> </p><p><em>Shut up! </em>She hissed back, determined to keep her eyes shut no matter how tempting it was.</p><p> </p><p>"Okay, I'm going to phase now," announced Jared.</p><p> </p><p>"Phase?"</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, that's the term that we use to describe transforming into a wolf."</p><p> </p><p>For a moment, she heard nothing. <br/> </p><p>And then suddenly, the silence was replaced by a whine that didn't sound human at all. Kim took that as a cue to open her eyes. Standing there in front of her was no longer Jared, but a gigantic wolf as tall as her, with thick brown fur and dark grey patches surrounding its eyes that almost looked like a mask.</p><p> </p><p>"Holy shit," she breathed out. "Holy shit. Holy <em>shit!</em>"</p><p> </p><p>The wolf gave off another whine, this time sounding more amused than nervous.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not dreaming, am I?" she muttered and pinched the skin on her right arm, which <em>hurt. </em>"Definitely not dreaming."</p><p> </p><p>Kim stared at the wolf, still unable to believe her eyes. Jared had transformed into a wolf. Everything he had said had been true.</p><p> </p><p>Jared had <em>transformed into a wolf! </em></p><p> </p><p>To say that she was overwhelmed was a gross understatement. Kim couldn't find any words in her extensive vocabulary to describe exactly what she was feeling at the moment. It was a mix of happiness, astonishment, excitement, and just plain disbelief because she still couldn't believe that Jared had really just turned into a giant wolf.</p><p> </p><p>"This is so surreal," she said, more to herself than to him.</p><p> </p><p>Jared, on his part, was already shifting back into his human form. Kim only had a moment's warning before all the fur disappeared and Jared was once again standing in front of her in all his naked glory. She caught a glimpse of a gleaming russet skin before she closed her eyes again, but it was enough for the blush on her face to spread to her neck like wild fire.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm fully dressed now," he called out.</p><p> </p><p>Kim opened her eyes once again to see Jared approaching her, his shoulders taut with tension. She could see the apprehension on his face and she knew that she ought to say something to ease his nervousness, but she felt incapable of opening her mouth to form any words.</p><p> </p><p>"Please say something?" pleaded Jared in a small voice once he was standing only a feet away from her.</p><p> </p><p>"Remus Lupin is a werewolf," she blurted out. It was the first thing that came to her mind. For some reason, this whole thing was easier to process when she was connecting with her favourite book. "Are you…are you like him?"</p><p> </p><p>"I…<em>What?!</em>"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm asking---"</p><p> </p><p>"No, no, I heard you. It was just an exclamation," explained Jared, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He seemed a tiny bit more relaxed now that she was mentioning Harry Potter again. Kim was pleased with herself, even if that hadn't been her intention. "And to answer your question, no. I think Remus only turns during the full moon and he can't control himself as a werewolf, right? We're not like that. We can phase whenever we want and we don't lose our minds in our wolf form."</p><p> </p><p>Kim was relieved. It wouldn't be good if Jared turned into a mindless beast once a month.</p><p> </p><p>"You used 'we'. Does that mean you're not the only one?"</p><p> </p><p>Jared scratched his head. "There are three right now, actually. Me, Sam Uley and Paul---"</p><p> </p><p>"Valerie's neighbour who looks like he has a constant case of constipation?" asked Kim immediately, drawing a string of laughter from Jared. He seemed greatly amused by the way she had described Paul.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh man, that's brilliant! Paul's gonna be so pissed when he heard that," smirked Jared, eyes twinkling in delight. "But yes, that Paul. We're watching a few others. They show all the signs, so Sam thinks they'll phase soon."</p><p> </p><p>"So all those days you missed class…"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, that's when I first phased. It took a while for me to turn back, but I definitely had it easier than Sam…Still, I had to learn how to control it and all that before I was allowed back to school. Otherwise I might accidentally phase."</p><p> </p><p>"So it's dangerous if you accidentally phase?" asked Kim. He had seemed stable when he phased just now, and Jared did say that they didn't lose their minds in their wolf form, so it hadn't occurred to her that phasing might be risky somehow.</p><p> </p><p>He let out a heavy sigh. "If someone is standing too close, yes. That's why I asked you to step back. I didn't want a repe---well, I didn't want to risk hurting you. Accidental phasing is triggered mostly by anger, though, and I'm pretty good managing mine."</p><p> </p><p>"I trust you," said Kim, and she meant it as well.</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you," said Jared, giving her one of those half-moon smiles that made butterflies erupt inside her stomach. "Do you want to sit down? Or go back? We've been standing here for a while."</p><p> </p><p>"We can sit down," said Kim, plopping down on the sand. It was wet, but she didn't mind. She was too excited and curious to care about anything else. "I like it out here and I still have so many questions for you."</p><p> </p><p>Jared grinned and sat down next to her, still keeping a decent distance between them. Kim was glad for this, as she had never been comfortable with physical contact or people being too close to her.</p><p> </p><p>"You know, you're taking this a lot better than I imagined. I think most people would have run away screaming by now. Or call the police."</p><p> </p><p>Kim shrugged. "I don't see why I should do that. I've always dreamed of meeting a fantasy character and you're basically just that. You can turn into a giant wolf at will, which is really cool. You're like an Animagus."</p><p> </p><p>"Call me Moony," he laughed. "So what else do you want to know?"</p><p> </p><p>"Why did you suddenly phase? I mean, there must have been a trigger, right? If you're Taha Aki's descendant, that means you've always had this…wolf thing, so it doesn't make sense if you just suddenly turn out of the blue."</p><p> </p><p>"You're right. Do you remember the people Taha Aki was fighting in the story? The Cold Man and Cold Woman?"</p><p> </p><p>She nodded. They were the one who had killed the Third Wife.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you mean to say that that's also true?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yep. Official name is vampire. They are our natural enemies."</p><p> </p><p>"Damn," muttered Kim quietly. "So there <em>are</em> blood-sucking demons going around killing people. Have you met a vampire? Have you fought a vampire? Are there vampires here, too?"</p><p> </p><p>"No, no and no," replied Jared, pretending to tick things off a list. "No vampire would <em>ever</em> set foot on the Rez if we can help it. But there are vampires living in Forks. That's how it happened, actually. The wolf gene normally stays dormant and it only surfaces if a vampire is in close vicinity of the Rez. The presence of a vampire triggers our phasing, because our instinct knows that there is a threat to the tribe."</p><p> </p><p>"So you turned into a wolf because of these vampires living in Forks? Are they killing people? Would you have to fight them in the future?"</p><p> </p><p>Jared chuckled. "You are really set on fighting vampires, aren't you? But no, the ones living in Forks…the Cullens, they are like vegetarian vampires---"</p><p> </p><p>"What?"</p><p> </p><p>"---they don't drink from humans. Only animals. There's this treaty thing between us and them. They wouldn't cross the boundary into the Rez and they wouldn't kill anyone. Otherwise it's open season."</p><p> </p><p>"Wow," breathed Kim.</p><p> </p><p>It had been a lot of information to take in, but somehow, her brain seemed to be functioning just fine, if not better than normal. She could feel the gears turning rapidly inside her head, sorting and processing everything that Jared had just revealed to her. The world suddenly seemed like a much bigger and more magical place than it had been an hour ago.</p><p> </p><p>However, as she went over everything that they had talked about, she realized that a piece of the puzzle was still missing.</p><p> </p><p>"This is all great, but it doesn't explain why you suddenly pay attention to me, Jared."</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Tbc.</em>
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